Snifter for alcoholic beverages such as brandy, spirits and liquors

ABSTRACT

A snifter for alcoholic beverages such as brandy, spirits and liquors including a glass having a softly flared container ( 1 ), with a bowl ( 2 ) extending therefrom and including two parts, a first lower part ( 20 ) flaring more sharply, extended by a second, higher part ( 21 ) gradually tapering up to the drinking lip ( 22 ), the opening of the latter defining a surface equal to or larger than that defined by the upper edge ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ), which is the recommended filling limit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a glass for tasting alcohols such as brandies,spirits and liquors.

Tasting consists in appreciating the olfactory and gustatory values ofan alcohol or other alcoholic drinks.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

There are already known different kinds of tasting glasses; theygenerally include a foot topped with a stem that supports the bowl thatcomprises a first portion widening upwards, then a second portionnarrowing towards the upper edge, called a lip.

This is the case of the glasses described in FR-A-2,648,340 andFR-A-2,684,534, which are however more particularly aimed at tastingwines.

On the other hand, these glasses are so designed that the taster canmechanically accelerate the evaporation of the product to be tasted, byapplying a gyratory motion to the glass, which, in the case of aalcohol, has a drawback as regards the olfactory appreciation, forshaking favors the release of esters that the nose when sniffing theproduct.

From BE-A-428 043 is also known a glass having on the lower side aportion slightly widened in the shape of a truncated cone and toppedwith a portion, called bulge, which largely widens, then narrows towardsthe lip, the inner diameter of this latter being larger than the largestouter diameter of said portion in the shape of a truncated cone. The aimof the features of this glass is an easy piling up, but they do notallow the tasting, because of the small volume of the bulge that cannotbe assimilated with a bowl.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of this invention is to provide a glass for tasting alcoholsthat allows a full olfactory appreciation.

Thus, this invention relates to a glass for tasting alcohols such asbrandies, spirits and liquors, comprising a slowly widening container atthe upper edge of which begins a bowl, this latter comprising twoportions, a first portion of a small height, which widens to a largerextent and is extended by a second portion of a large height, whichprogressively narrows towards the lip the opening of which delimits asurface at least equal to the one defined by the upper edge of thecontainer, which edge forms the recommended filling limit, the volume ofthis parison being larger than that of the container.

According to another, additional feature of the glass according to theinvention, this latter includes a foot topped with a stem supporting thecontainer.

During the filling, the liquid is directly poured into the container,the recommended maximum level for a maximum exhalation of the aromas,without circular shaking, being situated at the filling edge of thecontainer, the surface area of the liquid then being smaller or at mostequal to the surface area defined by the lip opening.

The features of the glass according to the invention allow to keep undercontrol the emanations of esters through the evaporation surface of thealcoholic liquid the container is filled with. During sniffing, thearomatic molecules, which fill up the volume formed by the bowl, releasetheir original substances at the arrival of the air from outside.

The glass forming the object of this invention allows a completeexhalation of the primary, secondary and tertiary aromas of the liquidto be tasted, with the reservation of the aggressive emanations of thealcohol supporting the organoleptic molecules and the volatilesubstances.

The taster can finally appreciate the gustatory value of the liquid bybringing the glass in a traditional way to his lips or, preferably, bysucking the liquid into his mouth by means of a straw of a smalldiameter immersed into the container, in order to preserve theabove-mentioned olfactive tasting.

The advantages and the features of this invention will clearly appearfrom the following description, with reference to the attached drawingthat shows several non-exhaustive embodiments of same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view according to a median vertical planeof a first embodiment of the tasting glass according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view according to a median vertical planeof a variant of the same glass,

FIG. 3 shows an elevational view of a second embodiment of the tastingglass according to the invention,

FIGS. 4 and 5 show variants of this same tasting glass.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

When referring to FIG. 1, one can see that according to a firstembodiment a tasting glass according to the invention includes, from thebottom to the top, a container 1 slowly widening towards its upper edge10 at which begins the bowl 2 that includes two portions, a firstportion 20 of a small height and a quickly increasing width, and asecond portion 21 of a large height and a width progressively decreasingtowards the lip 22.

The surface area defined by the lip 22 is larger than the surface areadefined by the upper edge 10 of the container 1, which forms the fillinglimit that may be indicated by a mark.

The aromas and the heavy molecules of the liquid to be tasted stagnatein portion 20 of the bowl and they release their original substances inportion 21 at the interface with the air entering into it through thelip 22 during sniffing.

One should note that the glass includes at the lower side, under thecontainer 1, a solid portion 3 of a certain height allowing the user tograb it. The glass shown is used for tasting alcohols such as whisky.

The surface area ration may reach up to 3.5, which allows, for those whodo wish so, to dilute the alcoholic liquid with a neutral liquid, e.g.water, so that the mixture fills up the container and part of portion20, so that the reduction in alcohol and aroma densities be compensatedfor by an increase of the evaporation surface, which should remainsmaller than the surface area defined by the lip 22.

When referring to FIG. 2, one can see that the upper portion of the bowl2′, at the level of the lip 22′, includes a re-entrant rim 23 of aconcave shape, which narrows the opening of the lip 22′.

This embodiment allows one to taste a whisky cooled down by means of oneor several ice cubes; the cooling down of the alcoholic liquid reducesthe emanations; the narrowing of the lip thus allows, while maintainingthe ration between the opening of the lip 22′ and the liquid surfaceexposed to the air, to increase the retention of the emanations.

One should note that the rim 23 advantageously retains the ice cube orcubes, or the eventual crust when the glass is taken to the mouth.

When referring now to FIG. 3, one can see that, according to a anotherembodiment, the tasting glass according to the invention includes a foot4 and a stem 40 and that the portion 21′ of the bowl 2′ has a curvedshape.

When referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, one can see two variants of the tastingglass according to the invention that show that the shape and the volumeof the container 1″ and 1′″, on the one hand, and of the bowls 2″ and2′″, on the other hand, have no effect on the exhalation of the aromas,provided the ratio between the opening of the lip 22″ and 22′″ and theliquid surface exposed to the air is maintained.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glass for tasting brandies, spirits and liquorscomprising: a container having a base and an upper portion, said upperportion widening outwardly from said base; and a bowl connected to andextending from an upper edge of said upper portion of said container,said bowl comprising a first portion and a second portion, said firstportion having a lesser height than said second portion, said firstportion widening so as to have a diameter greater than a diameter ofsaid upper edge of said container, said second portion progressively andcontinuously narrowing upwardly form said first portion toward a lip ata top thereof, said lip defining an area in a horizontal plane no lessthan an area in a horizontal plane defined by said upper edge of saidcontainer, said bowl having a volume greater than a volume of saidcontainer, said upper edge of said container defining a desired limitfor filling the glass, said area defined by said lip being up to 3.5times said area defined by said upper edge.
 2. The glass of claim 1,said second portion of said bowl having a re-entrant rim of a concaveshape extending inwardly toward said lip.
 3. The glass of claim 1, saidbase of said container having a solid portion with a height suitable forgrasping by a human hand.
 4. The glass of claim 1, said base comprisinga stem supported upon a foot, said stem being connected to said upperportion.
 5. The glass of claim 1, further comprising: a liquid selectedform the group consisting of a brandy, a spirit and a liquor, saidliquid received in said container to a level no higher than said upperedge of said container.